


Sweet Child of Mine

by justanoutlaw



Series: Spooky OQ 2019 [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Alternate Universe, Baby Henry Mills (Once Upon a Time), F/M, Infertility, Murder, The Enchanted Forest (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-01-05 02:53:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21206222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: Robin and Regina have struggled for years to start a family. They don't expect to have those wishes answered one spooky night by the lake.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For Day 3 of Spooky OQ: Quiet Lake, Child & A Murder
> 
> TW: Mentions of Infertility

He couldn’t give her the one thing she wanted and it haunted him daily.

Every time they passed children playing in the village and she got that pained look in her eye. When her sister announced her pregnancy and she faked a smile that didn’t quite reach those beautiful brown eyes. Every time she held a baby and would coo all over it, only to visibly collapse once they were returned to their parents.

It wasn’t for lack of trying. The pair had been married for six years and yet, nothing. Regina spent that once a month crying, though not from the pain of her cramps. She longed for a child of their own.

Robin would have done anything to give Regina a child. In their realm, however, potions were expensive. A tavern worker couldn’t afford the prices. Regina was an expert seamstress, something she had learned from her mother. Nonetheless, they lived a modest life. Even if they managed to scrimp and save the hundred gold that the imp asked for, they would be bringing a child into the world without much to go off of. Robin didn’t want to raise a child in poverty, not the way he had. Regina couldn’t argue with that.

So, they did their best to be happy and they were for the most part. They made love several times a week. Her smiles were genuine nearly ninety percent of the time. Though they couldn’t exactly afford to go out and eat at the tavern he worked at often, they found their own way to make date nights.

On All Hallow’s Eve, Tuck gave him the night off. Rather than go to the festival in town thrown by the queen and prince, which would no doubt make Regina sad with all the children running about, they decided for a moonlit picnic by the lake. Hand in hand, they walked from the log cabin he had built for them after they got married and into the woods. A wicker basket hung from her elbow, swaying in the wind. A smile was on her face, a real one. She had been in an excellent mood as of late and Robin hoped tonight would only improve it.

When they reached the lake, however, both of their smiles dropped.

The sight before them was gruesome. A young woman with blonde curls lay in the grass. Blood sprouted from her blue peasant top. Beside her was a man with dark hair, a knife coming out of his chest. Neither were moving. Their eyes were directed up at the moon.

Despite the scene, it was quiet. No one else was around. If it weren’t for all of the weapon and blood, it would look like two people simply stargazing. Regina rushed to their sides, checking for a pulse, only to come up empty.

“I should go back into the village,” Robin said, his eyes not moving from the man’s agape mouth. “Get the sheriff.”

Regina went to respond when a cry rang out. They looked around the grass and lake, trying to find the source. After a few minutes, Robin could hear his wife calling for him. When he found her, she was lifting a baby from a basket. Only wrapped in a diaper and a thin blanket, its cries rang out over the lake. His pale skin was growing red from all the fussing. Atop his head, he already had a smattering of dark curls. Regina held him close, trying to shush him.

  
“Do you think this was their child?” Robin asked, peering over his shoulder at the deceased couple in the grass.

Regina nodded. “There’s no one else around. Whoever it was just left the child by the tree to freeze to death.”

As if on cue, the wind bristled through the trees. Robin knew if they hadn’t arrived, the baby probably would’ve died from exposure by morning. That is, if a wolf hadn’t gotten to him first.

“We should take him to the orphanage,” Robin said. “He’s got no other family now.”

“He has us,” Regina replied almost instantly. The baby had quieted in her arms and was staring up a her intently. “We can’t just let him go.”

“Regina…”

“Robin, who else is going to care for him?”

“What if the person who killed his parents comes back? What if there’s other family? This could end badly.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “You’ve been through so much pain, I don’t want to see you getting hurt.”

“I won’t. He is my son. I’m not letting him go.”

Robin looked into his wife’s eyes. They were determined. She wasn’t going to let go of this child, no matter what he said. He had two options: walk away or support her.

He slipped an arm around her waist. “He’ll need a name,” he murmured.

“Henry,” she decided. “After my father.”

“I like that.” Robin looked back at the bodies once more. “I’ll tell our neighbor that there’s two bodies in the woods. By morning, it will be all over the village and someone will come looking for them.”

Regina nodded. “Thank you, Robin,”

As the two began the walk home, they discussed things the baby would need. Robin agreed to head to a shop and pick it up while she stayed behind. They discussed perhaps building a new room for him. The two even kissed in happiness over becoming parents.

Never knowing that the baby in their arms was the grandson of the queen and her prince.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of people have asked for a follow up and I finally got the muse to write a few. We’re gonna start off with Snow’s POV.

“Queen Snow, we hate to disturb you, but two bodies were discovered in the East Village’s Woods.”  
“Your Majesty, the bodies resemble that of your daughter and son-in-law.”  
“We are so sorry for your loss.”

Snow White stood over the bodies of Emma and Baelfire far longer than most would. She stared at her baby’s face, now paler than normal. Her beautiful green eyes would never open again. Her stomach had dried blood coming from the middle. Baelfire was the one with the sword still in his chest. She could remember the young man coming for knight training and watching the two fall in love. She saw it from afar, they’d be perfect. The pregnancy sped things up but they were madly, deeply in love.

Now, they were gone.

And Snow blamed herself.

Baelfire had always told them that he was an orphan, though Snow and David never bought it. Then a little after Emma got pregnant, they came clean. He was the son of the all powerful Dark One, Rumpelstiltskin. The couple had not met the wizard, but had heard stories. According to Baelfire, he ran away from home after his father refused to give up his power and was growing worse by the day. He would murder people when he got angry and tried to keep Baelfire all to himself. When Bae had managed to find a way to a land without magic, Rumpelstiltskin had destroyed it. After that, Baelfire has escaped and ran until he came across Snow and David’s kingdom. They promised him safety and said no matter what, he’d be protected.

Until rumors spread that the Dark One had found his son. He was getting closer and would be arriving soon. Baelfire got scared and wanted to run. Emma agreed. David has been unsure, instead wanting to put up a fight. But Snow sided with the young couple, saying it’d be best if they went into hiding for awhile. They’d be reunited as soon as the Dark One got his sight somewhere new. Lending the kids clothes from the maids and kissing them along with their grandson goodbye, they got them passage on a ship to Arendelle. They’d be safe there. No one knew of their alliance with Kristoff and Anna. In the midst of the Hallows Eve ball, the kids and their grandson had escaped. Snow and David prayed for the best…until the sheriff came knocking on their door.

They knew it couldn’t have been the work of the Dark One. He wanted Baelfire back so badly, why would he kill his son. Besides, according to records Rumpelstiltskin wasn’t even in the Enchanted Forest yet. All signs pointed to a robbery gone wrong. Any valuables they had were gone, along with their tickets for the ship.

Snow grazed the cheek of her daughter, feeling her stomach curl. “Oh my sweet baby,” she whispered. “I never should’ve let you go out there.”  
“Snow.” She looked up at the sound of her husband’s hoarse voice and saw his bloodshot eyes. They had both been crying since they got the news. “They haven’t been able to recover the baby.”  
Snow sniffled. “But that’s impossible. It was a robbery. They would’ve just left him there.”  
“They searched all day since he was found, I went with them. They looked for animals to see if one got to them, I had Red trace his scent off his favorite blanket. He was at the scene, but he’s nowhere in the woods. He’s just…disappeared.”  
Snow sucked back a deep breath. “So he could still be alive.”  
“It’s possible,” David took hold of her hand. “The sheriff thinks maybe the robbers sold him. We’ll have a sketch made and put out wanted posters. We’re going to find him.”

Snow looked down at her daughter, feeling another single tear fall down her cheek.

“Don’t worry sweetie, we’ll find him…and we’ll bring him home.”


End file.
